August 23, 2012

Listening to… Cloud Cult

While I work to try and knock out my Project Life post for this week, I thought I'd share a video from an album that's been in non-stop rotatation at my house. The album is Light Chasers by Cloud Cult.

Cloud Cult are a Minnesota band who've been around since 1995. I've been vaguely familiar with them, but never really claimed myself to be a fan until Light Chasers came out. It came out in 2010, and Dan got hooked on it much sooner than I did. In fact, when he'd play it, I'd conveniently leave the room because I'll be honest with you: I didn't get it.

You know how sometimes a vocalist's style doesn't hit you right? Or the music just doesn't suck you in at first listen? That's been my story with this band.

Until about two months ago when I finally heard it.

I'm quite certain it's due in part to the therapy I've been involved in for the past few years. I've been working on changing so many parts of what makes me me. This process isn't easy and it's definitely not fun. If there is one thing I am learning, anyone who says they love to grow and change but isn't simulataneously experiencing a great deal of pain… well, maybe they aren't growing and changing as much as they'd like to. That's definitely been my experience.

But this process for me is definitely needed.

Light Chasers feels like a therapy session. Some of the song lyrics have ripped my heart right out of my chest, and then tossed it back in there, haphazardly and ill-placed, but they've given yet another perspective on my own inadequacies. Songs like this one:

I am a wrecking ball / I've run the guillotine / I blame everything just to keep my hands clean.

But there are moments of such beauty and joy on the record as well.

This song represents one of the epic, joyous moments.

And we were running / for a reason / left our cubicles in little flaming pilesWe were running / for a reason / I need to feel something different for just a little while.

And this one:

Love your mother / yeah she's a good one / She'll build you armor; keep you warm as a hen / The stars may fall and the rains may pour / but I will love you evermore / cuz you were born.

14 Comments

Thanks for sharing! I love being introduced to new music :) I've had the same thing happen where you hear a song a bunch of times and don't think much about it, but then your situation (mental or physical) changes and all of a sudden the lyrics are speaking to you!!

I completely dig this post of yours. Music is so important in our lives in more ways than one. Opening up the vault on so many different sounds and varied artists allows emotions to explore. I hope you would give some Jazz (American Jazz)- it will drive right into your gut and pull things out that is for sure! KUDOS to you and your process. Inspired I am.

Just discovered a new (to me) band! Thanks so much for sharing...music is a huge part of my life and a big influence on me. I was checking out Cloud Cult's albums on iTunes and saw info about another Minneapolis band called Bodies of Water. They sound like a band you'd like, given what we know about your emo before emo was cool past!

This post makes me happy. You are the first person I have come across in blog land (and in real life actually) that also likes Cloud Cult. People always look at me funny when I play their songs. I knew there was a reason I followed your blog. :-)